He Saved My Life
by Stormyskies89
Summary: Amanda Conrad-Taylor was not your normal teen after 9/11 but a young handsome detective changed that. And as her feelings for him have changed...he seems to have found himself his happily ever after...breaking her heart in the process.


**Title:** He Saved My Life

**Summary:** When Amanda Taylor was 15-years-old she was in a downward spiral and now she has her very own hero to turn to whenever things get really bad…like when she's hurt and has to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CSI: New York, or anything else recognizable.

**A/N:** No Flames! Not accepted.

**2****nd**** A/N:** This is simply a plot bunny that would not leave me alone. Enjoy!

* * *

_Third Time Lucky, Right?_ Adam Ross had lucked out twice with pretty girls coming out of the elevator already so now, this was his chance. Long brown hair fell in a chocolate waterfall down her back, it had blonde streaks in it but it still looked like chocolate and when she turned to look around, Adam noticed her eyes were grey…like melted snow.

"Can I help you find someone? Give you a tour?" He asked, the girl jumped but she smiled at Adam softly.

"Detective Mac Taylor?" she asked, Adam's face fell, but she gave him a giggle and he led her to Mac's office.

"Mac? This girl is here to see you." Adam said as his boss looked up. Mac looked past Adam and he smiled, actually smiled, and stood up opening his arms to embrace the newcomer.

"Panda Bear…it's good to see you! So you graduated then?" He said as he pulled back from the hug. She was smiling now and it was like looking into a light bulb that admitted 1000,000 watts it was bright.

"Good to see you too, Dad," Adam's mind ground to halt _DAD?!_ "Graduated… with honours." She smiled; Adam mumbled something about work and walked out of the office. Mac and his daughter were two peas in a pod, no doubt. They looked almost identical – Adam paused at that thought – apart from the breasts that stood prominently on her chest of course. And she was at least three inches shorter than her father. She turned to look around the office obviously pleased with it as Mac nodded to whatever she was saying, suddenly she stopped and Adam followed her gaze she was watching Danny closely, he was talking with Hawkes, his laughter had drawn her gaze, she grinned and looked at her father who said something that had her make an 'awww' face. She took a deep breath and the whole lab heard her.

"Danny!" He looked up and when his eyes found her he smiled widely, he started to make his way to Mac's office when she was out and throwing herself around Danny, in the ultimate display of affection, her arms locked around his neck, her long legs locked around his waist and he stumbled a step before regaining his balance. But he was laughing. Adam returned to the door of his lab to hear what Danny said.

"Hey there, Panda Bear. Haven't you in four years! Where you been?" He asked, she let her legs down but didn't let go of his neck, she whispered in his hear, she must have been crying because he started rubbing her back, "Denver? Why Denver?" she replied and he laughed, "right…Denver School of Advanced Technology. I remember now." She pulled back and wiped at her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm being such a sop."

"Nah don't sweat it, baby girl. You have every right to be happy, knowing all you've been through and now you're right back where you belong." Adam noticed that Lindsay was standing several metres away at Mac's doorway, she looked in at him and Adam heard Mac say,

"He saved her life Lindsay; he deserves every bit of her attention and love." Adam's eyes widened, he ducked back into his lab and typed in what he believed her name to be: _Amanda Taylor_.

Articles popped up from his search. He clicked on one and started to read, almost not believing that the beautiful girl out there in the hallway was the same girl he was reading about!

_Amanda Conrad-Taylor is your normal teenager. She wasn't always that way though. A while ago she hit a real rough patch…right after 9/11. She lost her mother in the attack on the World Trade Center and almost lost her father, NYPD Detective Mac Taylor, to depression. Amanda soon spiralled into drugs abuse despite being only 15 years old. She battled with the drugs for a year and a half before she was found and made well by a young Detective of the NYPD._

"_Danny Messer helped me through a really tough time," the 17-year-old New York Native says of her hero, "he made me see that drugs were not the way I had to go. I had to be there for my father who was so bad with his depression over Mom that he hadn't even noticed I'd be gone all hours of the night just waiting for my next high. Danny took me home and got me clean. I owe him my life." Amanda is now your normal teenager but when asked who her hero is – she isn't going to say her father like most teenaged girls- no her hero is much cooler than that._

"_Detective Danny Messer of the NYPD – he is my hero and always will be." _

Adam stared at the last words on that article. She had been doing drugs and probably ready to kill herself but Danny pulled her out of it. He was a regular hero. And he was this girl's superhero.

* * *

Getting her badge and gun was one of the best moments of Amanda's life, she'd be at the Crime Lab and she was already family to most of them so she fit right in. Even got along well with Lindsay and Jo and Adam calmed down around her too. Her first case was that of a paedophile. She worked so hard to nail him and somehow – no one quite knew why she had found him. Danny and Mac had gone to scout the building but she had found him. When Mac and Danny returned to join her she ignored their calls on the radios and of her name. They only stopped when they heard the conversation that had begun in their absence.

"I can't only imagine your pain," it was sneer that made Amanda pause.

"I have no pain." She stated her gun raised pointing at him.

"Oh but you do, so much pain in your life," He snarled.

"He's baiting her." Mac said, both he and Danny stood far enough away to hear but they couldn't see what was going on.

"I'll bite, what's this pain that I'm supposed to have so much of?" Amanda said.

"The pain of knowing the man you love will never love you the same way. The pain of knowing that all your father ever wanted was a son and he got landed with you. A daughter, girls are never as strong, fast or smart as boys. But the worst pain is that love that you will never know." Amanda nearly broke but she took a deep breath and responded.

"My father loves me! He would die for me!" She snapped.

"No…the man who you have yearned for since you were a teenager. He saved your life didn't he? And you have fallen in love with your hero detective. But he is married isn't he? With a little girl? What could you give him that doesn't already have?" Amanda felt her heart break, he knew all about this.

"Danny…" here her voice broke, "I owe him my life." She said, her hands began to shake.

"Yes but it's not the way he thinks is it? You owe him your life and you have willingly given it to him…just to share your life with him. To know that he'd come home to you…that is why it hurts so much. Because he has what you could give him…but he didn't want it from you." Amanda felt hurt, this guy knew everything about her.

"You know nothing about me or how I feel." Amanda snarled.

"I can see it in your eyes, my dear. Such pain and hurt." He said shaking his head suddenly a shot rang out and a scream. Danny and Mac shot around the corner and were at Amanda side in a second. Mac grabbed Amanda and hugged her close, while Danny checked their suspect.

"He's gone." Amanda buried her face into Mac's neck, mostly to hide from Danny.

* * *

The locker room was cold and quiet but she needed the peace and quiet to sort out her thoughts and try to forget.

"Panda Bear?" Amanda looked up and sighed shaking her head.

"Oh, hi Danny." She said.

"Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell me? I had no idea." He said sitting down next to her.

"I know and I preferred it that way. Dad told me that Aiden had been let go and he'd gotten a new CSI, she was from Montana and she was mostly paired with you – like Aiden had been. I knew I had and lost my chance. You were always it for me, Danny. Always. You knew I had a crush when I was little. So why couldn't it have grown?" She said.

"Crushes never last." He pointed out.

"Mine did." She said, "but I just have to figure out how to get over you, now."

"Panda…you were always my little sister." He told her sincerely, he never wanted to hurt her and never thought he would.

"I know. But I wanted to be so much more." Amanda explained she shook her head slowly.

"I know, and I'm sorry I never saw it. Maybe it could've worked out. Maybe not. I still love you, Panda Bear." He said.

"I still love you too, Danny." Amanda got up and walked out of the locker room, leaving Danny to think over everything.

* * *

"L.A.?" Mac looked confused as he stared up at his daughter. She nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I can't stay here in New York anymore, there are too many memoires. I lost everything here, and I need a fresh start – a clean slate. I could go to New Orleans – Stella said there's a spot if I wanted it and even Horatio said I could go to Miami if I wanted. And I might. But L.A. first. To get my life sorted then maybe Miami." Amanda was trying to get it all out before her father could stop her.

"I know a boy down there and he likes me. Eric Delko. At least he's not already attached to someone else or has a family. So I'm safe with him. I'll call you when I get to L.A. but for now I need to say goodbye to everyone. But can you do me a favour? Can you make sure Danny gets this?" Amanda handed Mac an envelope and after another long embrace and a kiss to her forehead, Amanda left to say goodbye to everyone else.

"Danny?" Mac called the CSI into his office, when he noticed Danny was looked for Amanda.

"What's up Mac? I need to find Manda, say I'm sorry." Danny said.

"You won't find her, not here. But she wanted me to give you this." Mac held out the envelope and he watched as Danny took it and sank down into the couch to read it and waited while the CSI opened the envelope and he listened as unintentionally Danny read aloud.

_D-Man,_

_I know you are probably wondering why I'm doing exactly what Lindsay did to you when she went back to Montana to testify in the trial of her friends' deaths. But this is different for me. I'm not coming back to New York. Not for a very long time. You'll probably be retired if I do. Lucy will be 15 or 16 and she'll be a beautiful little girl. You should be very proud of her. I know you were proud of me._

_I'm going to L.A. I'm going to rebuild my life and then start a fresh in Miami. Horatio Caine has said I can work down there now that Calleigh has left and I might even find a boyfriend. I hear Eric Delko is single. He's a Latino so I'm still on the Latin trail. Something about the Italians. Anyway, Danny I will never stop loving you like I have since I was 17 and you can't stop me. But I will remain your little sister. I just hope that one day I can know that seeing you won't rip my heart and soul into pieces like it did when I found out you had married Lindsay._

_This isn't "Goodbye, Danny". It's more like an "I'll see you around, Messer". So until we meet again:_

_Ti amo, sempre volontà._

_Vostro per sempre_

_Panda Bear xx_

Danny stared down at the letter and then at the photo that had been in the letter too, it was photo of him and Amanda when she had turned 10. He had lifted her up and she was laughing hysterically, Stella had taken the photo and Amanda had carried it everywhere with her.

"Until we meet again, Panda Bear."

* * *

_Ti amo, sempre volonta – _I love you, always will

_Vostro per sempre – _Your's forever


End file.
